tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33263210905124440462014-10-05T00:39:21.391-07:00Seasonal CookingAnne Nortcliffehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11207067149078219780noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3326321090512444046.post-13042275917499359472011-03-06T05:36:00.000-08:002011-03-06T05:54:44.979-08:00Spring in one's step, summer one step closer-A Simple Tomato Soup and Home-made Crackers to brighten the dayThe following is my daughters spring realisation that Mummy doesn't as rule stock soups like her Grandparents and tends to make them fresh from raw ingredients. So this was her efforts one sunny Spring day at the age of ten to develop her own recipe for a simple taste home-made tomato soup good hot or cold, and taking her inspiration from Jamie Oliver to make her own crackers from a Tortilla wrap.<br /><br />450g Tin of Tomatoes<br />2 Small Red Onions <br />Extra Virgin Olive Oil<br />Stick of celery chopped<br />1 Tortilla Wrap<br />Anglesey Sea Salt<br />Freshly Ground Black Pepper<br />Fresh Chopped Parsley for garnish<br /><br />Roughly chop the red onions, sauté in a pan with desert spoon of extra Virgin Olive Oil until golden. Add the chop celery, sweat for a moment. Add the tin tomatoes, seasoning to taste, bring to boil and simmer for 10-15mins. Liquidise or blend the mix to achieve a smooth soup.<br /><br />In a frying pan, dry fry Tortilla wrap (both sides), break into pieces.<br /><br />Serve the soup in a bowl garnished with chopped parsley, and side dish of tortilla crackers.<br /><br />Enjoy!Anne Nortcliffehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11207067149078219780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3326321090512444046.post-23379300918894002322011-01-09T11:53:00.000-08:002011-01-09T12:18:41.123-08:00Christmas Tart-December an alternative to mince tartsThis dish is popular with the men folk amongst our friends. There is a race at the Christmas party to gain a slice of the tart as it comes out of the oven.<br /><br />4oz butter<br />4oz caster sugar<br />4oz ground rice (ground ordinary rice in coffee grinder)<br />3 tblsp of Homemade Mincemeat tart<br />1 egg<br />Blind baked pastry tart<br /><br />Using a coffee grinder, to grind ordinary rice to make ground rice, this provides ground rice with effective gritty texture for this recipe. Melt the butter and sugar in a pan, allow to cool for a little while, then beat in an egg, and rice. In the pastry tart (blind baked), spread mincemeat, pour over the rice topping and bake for 15-20mins or until golden in gas mark 3/4.<br /><br />Serve with cream, vanilla ice cream or brandy butter.Anne Nortcliffehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11207067149078219780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3326321090512444046.post-9077256319037591692011-01-09T11:37:00.001-08:002011-01-09T11:53:09.991-08:00Homemade Port Mincemeat-October Christmas count down begin with apple pickingI am not particularly fond of candy peel in any my Christmas food. My solution was to make my own as I like it. This recipe is my mish mash of my ideas, Delia Smith's Homemade Christmas Mincemeat and Prima Magazine November 2001 Mincemeat recipes. My friends place an order early now each year for a jar.<br /><br />1lb Cooking apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped<br />8oz veggie suet<br />12oz raisins<br />8oz sultanas<br />8oz currants<br />4oz glace cherries chopped<br />4oz dried cranberries or blueberris or mix of both<br />zest of 2 oranges<br />zest of 2 lemons<br />4tsp mixed spice<br />Grated Nutmeg<br />6tblsp Port<br />4tblsp Black Treacle<br />8oz Dark Brown Sugar<br /><br />In a bowl mix all the ingredients. The place in an oven at 100oC for 2-3hrs, until all suet and sugar melted. Stir and coat all the fruit in the suet and sugar, spoon into large sterilised jars. Seal with lids.<br /><br />To make non-alcholic version replace Port with apple juice, this is equally delicious.Anne Nortcliffehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11207067149078219780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3326321090512444046.post-50911699454015948592011-01-09T10:48:00.000-08:002011-01-09T11:35:35.779-08:00Tangy Christmas Pudding with Brandy Butter- End of November, counting down the daysAbout many years ago started to make my own pudding as my Gran was no-longer with us and the source of my puddings. My original recipe was mish mash of Delia Smith's Traditional Christmas Pudding and Prima Magazine November 2001 Christmas Pudding Recipe. However this year I was inspired by Heston Blumenthal's Christmas Pudding for Waitrose, with crystallised orange inside. My pudding doesn't result in a crystalised orange, but results in a rich tangy orange scented and flavoured pudding that we all found quite remarkably morish. It was even very delicious cold the next day, which was rather unexpected as in the past Christmas pudding in my opinion was always disappointing cold. This year I am not sure which I preferred it the most; cold or hot.<br /><br />4oz raisins<br />6oz currants<br />4oz sultanas<br />3oz cranberries<br />2tspn mixed spice<br />4oz SR flour sifted<br />4oz Veggie Suet<br />4oz stale bread crumbs<br />6oz muscovado sugar<br />1 cooking apple, peeled, cored and grated<br />grated zest of orange<br />grated zest of lemon<br />juice of an orange<br />3 eggs<br />1/4 pt of ale<br />2tblspn of Port<br />1 washed tangerine<br /><br />In a bowl place all the dried fruit, add the citrus fruit zest, orange juice, mixed spice, grated apple, sugar, ale, port. Mix in the beaten eggs, stir in slowly suet, bread crumbs, and flour until well mix. Grease a 2pt pudding bowl; place half the mix into the bowl. Take the tangerine make a hole at the top where the stalk was attached; pour tsp of port into the tangerine. Place the tangerine in the pudding bowl; pour the rest of pudding mix on top. Place circle disk of greaseproof paper over the pudding, then lay a sheet of greaseproof paper and foil over the top. Tie string around the pudding bowl to secure the paper and foil as a tight lid to the pudding. Tie another piece of string across the pudding to make a handle. Place the pudding in large casserole dish with tight fitting lid containing 2" of water. Place the lid on the casserole dish, place in the oven for at 100oC for 3-4hrs, essentially steaming the pudding.<br /><br />Replace the greaseproof and foil lid and store until Christmas, but will keep for another month after Christmas. On the day either steam the pudding again for an hour or remove foil lid and microwave for 5 mins in 900W microwave full power. Turn out onto plate, you can flame as per usual by pouring brandy or port over the pudding light immediately. When serving cut into the pudding take care not to cut into the tangerine, which is not crystalised and looks to be intact as a tangerine, but if you open it up the entire contents has evaporated into the pudding, creating that rich orange flavor and scent. Serve with Brandy Butter, vanilla ice-cream, or cream. <br /><br />Brandy Butter<br />2oz Butter<br />4oz Icing Sugar<br />2oz Ground Almonds<br />good 1tblsp Brandy<br /><br />Cream butter and sugar together, mix in the brandy and almonds. Place in bowl, rest in the fridge before serving.Anne Nortcliffehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11207067149078219780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3326321090512444046.post-53164240226970782022011-01-09T08:25:00.000-08:002011-01-09T09:06:44.444-08:00Christmas cake-November-Long chimes to Christmas callingMother-in-law and I are not very fond of nuts in Christmas cake or pud' so it came to pass that in 2001, derived the following Christmas cake recipe modification of Prima Magazine November 2001 to our taste. Last year to make non-alcholic cake I subsituted Stout for apple juice, and did not feed the cake port, or used brandy in apricot jam in cake decorating. Last year one these non-alcholic cakes was not decorated, left wrapped up in an air tight tin until July. When we did eat it on holiday in the caravan it had matured into a lovely rich moist cake, and was lovely with a bit of cheese, personally enjoyed it more in a deck chair on the beach than ever do during the bustle of Christmas.<br /><br />12oz SR flour<br />1 large tsp mixed spice<br />9oz roughly chopped glace cherries<br />9oz roughly chopped dried apricots<br />9oz roughly chopped dates<br />12oz raisins<br />12oz currants<br />12oz sultanas<br />9oz butter<br />9oz dark brown sugar<br />6 eggs<br />grated zest of an orange<br />5tbsp Stout (Murphy's or Guiness)<br /><br />Preheat oven to gas mark 2.<br />Greaseproof Line 3*2lb loaf tins <br /><br />Beat butter and sugar to together. In a jug beat the eggs, slowly add and beat into the buttered sugar mix until fluffy. Once all the eggs have been beaten into the mix, until have an even mix. In another bowl mix all the dried fruit, add the stout and the mixed spice, add the grated zest of orange, stir into the fruit. Stir in the sifted flour to the egg mix until smooth mix. Stir in the dried fruit mix, into the cake mix. Spoon even quantises of the mix into the tins. Bake in the oven Gas mark 2 until cooked, i.e. inserted skew comes out clean from the cake, approximately 2 1/2 hrs. Rest in tin for 1/2hr, then place on wire rack. Once cool wrap well in greaseproof paper, place in air tight tin. Once a week pour capful of port over each cake, until when you want to decorate the cakes.<br /><br />To decorate:<br /><br />3tblsp Apricot Jam<br />1tblsp Brandy<br /><br />In a pan, gently warm the jam, stir in the brandy. <br /><br />If marzipaning the cake, coat all the sides to be marzipaned with the jam/brandy mix. Roll out marzipan and coat around all the sides to be covered with marzipan. Leave in air tight tin for a week. Make royal icing coat over the marzipan.<br /><br />Alternatively, dry fruit decorate the cake, spread the jam and brandy mix over the top of the cake, decorate the top of cake with halves of glace cherries, dates, and apricots. Coat the dried fruit cake decoration with coat of jam and brandy mix.Anne Nortcliffehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11207067149078219780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3326321090512444046.post-26557145055850168712011-01-09T07:49:00.000-08:002011-01-09T08:25:02.179-08:00Chilli Crab Apple Jelly-October-Bottling the fallBased on <a ref="http://www.cottagesmallholder.com/hot-crab-apple-and-chilli-jelly-recipe-2-470">The Cottage Smallholder</a> recipe.<br /><br />I have always loved crab jelly for its colour, blushes of the fall, sweet scent, and sweetness that is delicious on buttered toast. The addition of chilli produces a jelly that has the refreshing characterstics of mango chutney, delicious spread on cheese and crackers. <br /><br />3lb Red/Pink Ripe Crab Apples, washed and cutting off any bruised parts of the apple<br />4pts of Water<br />7 Washed Red Chilli peppers <br />1lb sugar for each pint of juice produced<br /><br />Place apples and water in a jamming pan or large heavy stainless steel pan. C red chilli peppers add including seeds to the pan. Bring to boil and let the stewing apples simmer, occasionally mashing the apples with potato masher. When you have apple stew mush, less than hour, prepare jelly bag to receive the apple stew. Strain the apple stew through the jelly bag, and leave the mix to strain overnight. <br /><br />In a jamming pan or large heavy stainless pan add 1lb sugar for each pint of chilli crab apple juice. Seed the remainder chilli peppers, chop and add to the pan. Gently heat the pan, stirring occasionally to prevent the mix from sticking and burning to the base of the pan, until the sugar has dissolved. Increase the heat to bring to boil, skim the mix, gently boil until the jelly reaches the setting point, I have found this takes an hour or more. While bringing the jelly to setting point, wash and rinse several 1lb jam jars, and metal jam jar lids, place in oven at 100oC to warm and sterilize the jars. Setting point is when teaspoon of jelly placed on a plate, when cooled and pushed by a finger the mix ripples and sticky viscous. Skim, stir and pour into sterilized jars and screw on lids. I have found this recipe usually will make 4lb of jelly.<br /><br /><br />Pour the jellAnne Nortcliffehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11207067149078219780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3326321090512444046.post-44591624023894157352011-01-09T07:47:00.000-08:002011-01-09T07:49:10.114-08:00Pork Rosy Cider- October-Apple PickingA variation on the previous recipe, but slow cooker casserole that goes down well with Jacket Potatoes<br /> <br />2 Small Roll of Pork Joints<br />Splash of Extra Virgin Olive Oil<br />4 large carrots peeled and sliced<br />Half packet of Dried Apricots<br />2 medium cooking apples<br />1 medium onion<br />1 500ml Bottle of Descent Cider<br />2 Bay leafs<br />Pinch of Ground Black Pepper and Sea Salt<br /> <br />I prefer the original sauté Crock Pot as slow cooker of choice. This is as the stoneware dish can be used directly on the stove heat, therefore ingredients can be sautéed before slow cooking, which enables you to add the richness of flavor as if slow cooked in an oven at low temp', but without cost of running the oven. <br /> <br />Finely chop the onion and sauté in Oliver Oil in the Stoneware dish on the stove, until golden. Add the carrots. Cut the pork joints into 1" cubes, add to dish, sauté and seal the pork. Add handful of dried apricots, peeled and 1" cubed cooking apple, seasoning, bay leaves, and a small amount cider to reduce down and flavor. Then add the reminder of the cider, when gently simmering place the lid on the stoneware and place on the heated base. Cook for 1/2hr at high heat, then 4hrs at low heat.<br /> <br />Serve with jacket potato.Anne Nortcliffehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11207067149078219780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3326321090512444046.post-41319462557747649562011-01-09T06:50:00.001-08:002011-01-09T07:47:50.812-08:00Plum Pudding Hot, Plum Pudding Cold-September Plums plucked under the drunken wasps nosesAt the end of the summer we return from Whitby to the plum trees groaning under the wieght of ripe plums. Since we have lived here we have yet to experience a poor year for plums, if one tree struggles, the other flourishes, this year it was turn of the self set greengages, though we still picked over 40lb of red plums vaiation of the victorian plum.<br /><br />2lb Red Plums<br />1lb Greengage Plums<br />4oz plain flour<br />4oz porridge oats<br />6oz brown sugar<br />3oz butter<br /><br />Wash, half the red plum and stone the plums. Wash the greengages plums, if you have time stone the plums, but greengages are small and it is a fiddlely job. Place the plums into large dish, (I am fortunate to have two very large round glazed stoneware pate dishes), sprinkle 1oz sugar over the fruit. <br /><br />In a mixing bowl place all the other ingredients, rub the fat into the sugar, flour and oats. When the mix looks likes breadcrumbs speard over the fruit. Bake in low heat oven, gas mark 3oz for 3/4hr-1hr.<br /><br />Serve with vanilla ice cream, cream or custard.<br /><br />Delicious hot, but equally delicious the following day cold.Anne Nortcliffehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11207067149078219780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3326321090512444046.post-16609755134040349672010-08-15T12:14:00.000-07:002011-01-09T09:07:10.747-08:00Good to be Home- August-From Veg' plot to potGood to be home and actually cook. Though modern caravans are equipped with a hob, grill and an oven, one never find one being adventurous in terms of cooking whilst on holiday, one why should you after all you are on holiday, veg' patch at home, also we seem to holiday where we can access great prize winning butchers, but descent green grocers shops or markets seem to be a bit thin on the ground. Also, we do tend holiday where there is good gourmet pub round the corner. So in reality we occasionally eat out, or I cook tried and tested recipes from home on holiday, though I have to admit one year a Swedish friend taught me how to make Swedish meatballs in the Caravan. This is still a firm favourite with my youngest.<br /><br />Any way back to point it was great to be home and finding what had grown in the veg' patch and what we had been and gone. So far lost only one broccoli to flower, all the chard has gone to seed, but was already going before we went away and it was expected as it was its second season. Note to oneself need to collect seed from leeks left deliberately from last year and been allowed to go to flower. Noted though we have ready plenty of cone white cabbages, windfall apples (cooker and cox), onions, broccoli, runner beans, green tomatoes, green chillies, peppers and courgettes. Just looking at the apple windfalls I fancied experimenting with pork joint and cider.<br /><br />Armed with under a kilo of Rolled Joint of pork (note roll of belly pork would equally be suffice, or bunch of good quality pork sausages) and the following ingredients;<br />Apple Windfalls (5 small)<br />Large Onion (picked from garden)<br />Packet of Dried Apricots<br />Bunch of Sage<br />Bay leaf<br />Extra Virgin Olive Oil<br />500ml vintage of cider<br />Hale Mon Sea salt<br />Ground Black Pepper<br /><br />I set about creating slow Roasted Pork marinated in apricot and windfall apple sauce. Initially the onion was finely sliced into rings, I worked from the root to top (as I was hoping to minimise the tears, it worked), I heated two tablespoon extra virgin olive oil in heavy oven pan on the hob (I use black coated Aluminum pan with good fitting glass lid, as due to the fact I have back problems I cannot lift Le Creuset iron pot off my hob and into my oven or vice versa, however due to nature Iron cooking pot I am sure this recipe would be more successful require less invention of cider when in the oven). I sautéed the onions for a few minutes, whilst I peeled, cored and sliced the windfalls and added these to the pot, gave them a quick stir. Also, at this point I add the dried apricots, I added about ten (but add as many or as few as you like), also threw in the bay leaf, teaspoon of chopped sage, pinch of sea salt and ground pepper. I subsequently added a wine glass of cider, allowed this to reduce and concentrate the flavour, where upon I added another glass of cider, the pork, and placed the lid on the pot. The pot was placed on a low shelf in a pre-heated oven gas mark 4, 160/180 Degree C. Now if you are not cooking in welled sealed pot, this is not the time to take take a glass of cider or in my case glass of cider and make a veggie equivalent of the above, as you will need the left over cider over the next two hours to occasionally add a glass of cider to the pot to ensure you have a rich uncaught sauce (i.e. doesn't catch the base of pan) to serve with slices of the pork, note if you are short of cider at this stage then add a glass of boiled water.<br /><br />For the veggie variation I recommend an hour cooking time, so if you are cooking for a veggie member of family or veggie visitor for dinner I suggest you start the pork dish, then repeat the initial stages again an hour later using a small pot; half an onion; couple of windfall apples, 3/4 dried apricots, but still couple of glasses of cider and this time substitute the pork for 2 veggie sausages; quorn or soya. Again when in the oven check the veggie pot, add cider (or glass of boiled water if short of cider) as when required to prevent the sauce from being to thick or catching the base of the pot and again this will ensure you serve a rich sauce with the veggie sausages.<br /><br />This evening I served both the pork and veggie dish with boiled minted new potatoes in their skins, fresh poached broccoli from the garden, runner beans (however unfortunately due the variety I have grown this year they are bit tough and stringy (I am not growing Emperor Runner beans again). I need to experiment with these runner beans for a more tenderising approach to cooking them, will keep you posted. Also tempura fine slices of courgette again from the garden. My youngest described this vegetable dish as courgette wrapped in Yorkshire pudding, she is of course right, at the end of the day it is thin slices of courgette dipped in Yorkshire pud' batter and fried in hot extra virgin olive oil until golden and placed on a piece of kitchen roll to absorb the oil, lightly salted with sea salt. Result a crisp tasty courgette slices, certainly my preferred method of eating courgettes. Though personally I prefer my courgettes to escape the slugs and grow up to be marrows, as I love stuffed roasted marrow, that my friend is set of recipes for another day.Anne Nortcliffehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11207067149078219780noreply@blogger.com0